Capitol News Illinois has launched an election guide to tell voters everything they need to know for the Tuesday, March 17, primary and Nov. 3 general election.

At http://www.capitolnewsillinois.com/election-guide/ you’ll find a list of resources to help you learn how, when and where to vote, as well as how to register.

This guide was prepared by editors and staff at Capitol News Illinois. If you have questions, comments, concerns or corrections, email [email protected].

One U.S. Senate seat and all of Illinois’ statewide offices will be on the ballot for the 2026 election. Every Illinois and U.S. House seat will be up for election as well, along with some Illinois Senate seats.

As for the races on every ballot, there’s governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer.

But the only statewide office with a competitive primary on both the Republican and Democratic side is the race for U.S. Senate.

CNI will update the guide as the election season progresses and as the primaries conclude.

Registering to vote

In Illinois, you can register to vote in several ways: online and in person, and by mail.

Online: To register online, visit the state’s online voter application tool at http://www.ova.elections.il.gov.

Online registration closes March 1 for the primary. It reopens from March 19 through Oct. 18 for the general election.

In person: To register in person, you must visit your local election authority or a facility that offers in-person registration.

Most counties also offer alternate locations for voter registration, including secretary of state facilities, libraries and other government buildings.

The standard in-person registration process runs through Feb. 17 for the primary and Oct. 6 for the general election.

Grace period: For those registering in person, a “grace period” process begins on Feb. 18 for the primary and Oct. 7 for the general election.

If you are registering in person your local election authority after Feb. 18, you must vote at the same time you register.

Election Day: Illinois also offers same-day in-person registration on Election Day, allowing voters to register and vote at the same facility. You’ll just need to bring the necessary documentation.

By mail: You can also mail in a voter registration form to your local election authority.

That mail must be postmarked by Feb. 17 for the 2026 primary and Oct. 6 for the general election.

Voting by mail

If you plan to return your ballot by mail, new Postal Service rules will likely impact when your ballot is postmarked. To find specific deadlines, check your county clerk’s website or call the office.

In general, clerks advise that you return your ballot by mail as soon as possible and no later than a week before Election Day.

Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, March 17, for the primary election and Nov. 3 for the general.

Below, you can find more information on how to receive vote-by-mail ballots and how to return them.

The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the primary election is March 12. The last day to do so for the general election is Oct. 29.

If you haven’t requested a mail-in ballot by that day, you will have to vote in person.

Voting early

For the March 17 primary, early voting opens on Feb. 5. For the Nov. 3 general, early voting begins on Sept. 24. Most Illinoisans can vote at their local election authority’s office. In DuPage County, visit http://www.dupagecounty.gov/elected_officials/election_and_voter_information/.

Voters in Cook County can start voting on Feb. 18 or March 2, depending on their location. Early voting will last until March 16. Visit the county clerk’s office at http://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections for specific locations and times.

­— CNI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government news coverage to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations in and around Illinois.